Gaian Black Pox
Gaian Black Pox (Esperanto - nigra pox, Portugese - pox negros) is a viral infection found on Gaia. Black pox was the first none-Earth disease shown to be able to effect humans and was the source of a major panic when its existence became public knowledge. Although not normally fatal and now treatable with an effective anti-viral medicine, victims of black box can suffer from long term illness if they do not receive medical aid quickly enough. The potential possibility that black pox could be used as a weapon was the cause of the Second Gaian War with both sides believing that the other was developing a weaponised variant of the disease Discovery The first case of black pox was recorded in the Brazillian colony of Oportunidade in late 2124. Workers building the colony's spaceport began noticing small spots and lesions on their hands. Initially it was believed that this was an allergic reaction to native flora (several Gaian plants produce natural latex when damaged), however in early 2125 several colonists who had not been exposed to such plants also reported similar symptoms. In June 2125 xenobiologists had identified the virus as been carried by several species of airborne insects Symptoms The dominant symptom of black pox are the circular lesions which form around pores in the skin. Typically the first poxmarks appear on the extremities (hands and feet) two to three days after initial infection, slowly spreading to the limbs and torso. These lesions, 3-4mm across, are filled with pus and infected blood and are extremely painful. Subcutaneous bleeding around the lesions cause the skin to rapidly develop dark bruising, turning the skin black, hence the common name. In extreme cases the lesions and bruising can cover the entire body surface. Internally the infection can cause damage to the liver and kidneys and can damage bone marrow. Without treatment the disease also causes damage to the soft tissue of the face, in particular the gums leading to tooth lose. Treatment The first truly effective anti-viral treatments were developed in the Brazillian colony in 2137 and quickly released to the other colonising nations. Since then new variants have been perfected and an innoculation treatment was perfected in 2201. Innoculation booster shots are required every five years, those working or living in high risk areas ofter receive boosters every three years. The main method of reducing the spread of the black pox is to eradicate the vector species using a mix of pesticides to either kill the insects or render them sterile. This has the disadvantage of been an area effect method which can also damage benificial species. Another popular method of reducing the risk of the disease spreading is biological control. In areas where the host species are present local people are encouraged to plant a number of species of plants, the flowers of which entice in a species of parasitic wasp, ''vepsa jeager ''Maximillia, which procreates by injecting its eggs into the larva of many of the host insect species Category:Diseases